Bottle-breaker



Oct. 13, 1953 .w s E 2,655,320

BOTTLE-BREAKER Filed Aug. 6, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 THEE: 1 Z 6 4 f" a 46 lo lllllllli: 3a E u I 25., /7 I 7 INVENTOR.

MOI/IV. M. WIFGTRATI Oct. 13, 1953 Filed Aug. 6, 1951 J. M. WESTRATE BOTTLEBREAKER 2 SheetsSheet 2 IN VEN TOR. JOHN M. wisrenri EXAWM Afro/P4 5) Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention generally relates to a bottlebreaker mechanism and in particular to a simplified mechanism easily mounted on any trash can for breaking bottles which are not to be reused.

As the laws of the United States require alcohol-tax labeled bottles, such as whiskey, wine, and gin bottles, to be broken to prevent the reuse of the bottles thereby avoiding payment of Federal alcohol taxes, the users of such bottles have had to break the tax labeled bottles. This is a hazardous operation subjecting the person performing the task to the liability of being cut by flying glass and or the broken pieces of the bottles in disposing of same.

With the recent advent of the disposable beverage bottle, such as beer and soft drink bottles, it has been found desirable to break these bottles after use to reduce the storage and disposal space required for the empties and it has been found highly desirable to reduce the non-reuseable and non-returnable bottles to small fragments so that the required container capacity is reduced to around per cent in disposing of small fragments as compared to disposing of the unbroken bottles.

In the modern day bar, hotel, or night-club, space is at a premium and there is no room for a large number of trash cans to hold empty bottles whereas there is sufiicient space for one or two cans, which in conjunction with the instant invention, are capable of handling the entire output of unuseable bottles by reducing them to fragments.

Heretofore, users have broken the bottles in the open or placed them in a burlap bag and then broke the bottles within the bag with a hammer; this is a very dangerous operation in that the particle fragments protrude through the bag and make the extremely dangerous to handle.

With these and other well known facts in view, it is the primary object of the instant invention to provide a bottle-breaking mechanism easily attachable to the top or" a conventional trash can and easily transferable to the next trash can when the first becomes filled with bottle fragments.

An obj cot of the invention is to provide a bottlebreaker which is integral to a trash can cover and which is operated by opening closing a small bottle-receiving door in the trash can cover.

An object of the invention is to provide a bottlebreaker which cocks upon opening the bottle receiving door. l

An object or the invention is to provide a. bottle-breaker entirely mounted on a trash can cover so that the mechanism operates independently of the trash can and can be positioned on any receptacle.

An object of the invention is to provide a bottlebreaker which fires when the bottle receiving door is completely closed thereby completely containing the flying fragments of the broken-bottle.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple durable fool. proof mechanism of a minimum number of parts.

An object of the invention is to provide a C0111 bined cooking and releasing lever.

An object of the invention is to provide a com bined cooking and firing wheel comprising segments of different radii and circumferential extent.

These and other objects of the invention become apparent by reference to the following description of a bottle breaker and trash can mounting embodying the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the device mounted on a trash can with parts broken away to show the internal mechanism.

- Fig. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of Fig. 1 taken on the line 2-4 thereof.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 2 taken on the line 33 thereof showing the device in cocked condition with a bottle to be broken disposed therein.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 2, to Fig. 3, showing the device in the fired position after having broken the bottle.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of Fig. .2 taken on the line 55 thereof showing the cooking lever in cocked position in solid lines and in fired position in dotted lines.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the cocking and firing wheel; and

Fig. '7 is a perspective view of the can hold down link attachable to the trash can handle to prevent the can rising when the bottle door is opened against the tension of the firing spring.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views the bottle-breaker and mounting disclosed therein to illustrate the invention comprises, a cover l0 mountable on a trash can I I, legs 12 and i3 depending from the cover l0, arcuate feet l4 and l5 extending from the legs 12 and I3 respectively forming a cradle for holding the bottle to be broken, and

a hinged door 16 in the cover II] for inserting a 3 bottle I! in spanning relation to the feet l4 and I5.

More particularly, the legs I2 and I3 are bolted or otherwise secured as at H! and I9 to the cover It) so that they depend downwardly from the cover l within the trash can when positioned thereon so as to be completely enclosed within the can and cover. The legs I?) and I3 adjacent their bottom end portion are equipped with bearings 20 and 2| respectively which carry the rounded end portions of the square axle 22 so that the axle 22 bridges the space between the legs [2 and I3 and carries the hammer '23 which is preferably welded thereon at a point midway between the legs l2 and I3 so as to be capable of striking a bottle at a point midway between the feet l4 and i5. A bridge-stop member 30 spans the feet i4 and i5 and provides a stop or anvil for the hammer 23.

At one end of the axle, such as adjacent the leg l3, the axle 22 carries a wheel 25 having a relatively large radial and circumferential segment 26 and a smaller radial and circumferential segment 21, an extending spring and chain attaching tab 28, and a cocking pin 23; the hammer 23 and wheel 25 are so positioned on the axle 22 that the small segment 21 is positioned upwardly when the hammer 23 is shot or against anvil 30, Fig. 4, and so that when the device is cooked with the hammer 23 back, Fig. 3, the small segment 2! is positioned on the down side of wheel. A spring 3| is attached to the wheel at the tab 28 and attached on the device adjacent the cover as at 32 so that tension of the spring tends to rotate the wheel 25 to turn the axle 22 to swing the hammer 23 from the position seen in Fig. 3 to the position seen in Fig. 4 against the anvil 33; the door i6 is equipped with a depending tab 33 to which the chain 33 is connected with the chain 34 leading to the tab 28 on the wheel 25 around the larger segment 26 thereof so that when the door- 56 is opened, as per the dotted lines in Fig. 3, the chain rotates the wheel 26 against the tension of the spring 3| to cook the hammer 23 which position is secured by the cooking and release lever 35 which is equipped with a notch 35 for engaging the pin 29 on the wheel 26, which position is secured by the spring 3! which urges the notch 36 into engagement with the pin 23. The cooking and release lever 35 is pivotally mounted as at 39 and extends to a point adjacent the cover it so that the boss 33 on the door |6 contacts the upper end of the lever 35 when the door moves to a closed position thereby disengaging the notch 33 from the pin 29 against the tension of the spring 3?, to permit the spring 3| to rotate the wheel 25 and the axle 22 to swing the lever 23 in a sharp, crashing blow against the bottle 11.

It will be noted that in cooking the device by moving the door from the position seen in Fig. 4 to the position seen in Fig. 3 that the chain works in conjunction with the larger radial and circumferential segment 26 winding the spring 3| around the smaller radial circumferential segment 2'! thereby giving the chain a leverage advantage in tensioning the spring 3| thereby making the door i6 easier to open. It is also important to note that the travel of the spring is much less than the chain thereby preventing the spring from becoming stretched beyond its elastic limit and thereby permitting the spring to be set and operated at maximum tension. When the device is in the cooked position of Fig. 3 with the door as indicated by the dotted lines, it will be noted that the spring 3| is wrapped around the smaller radial and circumferential segment 21 and abutted by the larger radial and circumferential segment 26 so that in moving from the position of Fig. 3 to the position of Fig. 4 the spring initially kicks against the larger segment 26 and then jumps onto the smaller circumferential segment 21 via the break in the wheel between the segments thereby jerking the wheel 21 on a shorter radius to accelerate the speed of rotation of the hammer 23.

The spring 3| is necessarily strong so that it can quickly and forcefully swing the lever 23 to break the bottle 39 and it is important to note that the segments 26 and 21 of the wheel 25 are on different radii thereby making the door l6 easier to open than otherwise; in swinging the hammer, this feature facilitates overcoming the initial inertia of the hammer 23 and allows the spring 3| to snap the hammer 23 when it moves ofi segment 26 across the break onto segment 2! as the spring 3! is permitted to suddenly contract thereby giving the malfunction, the can hold-down link 41 is provided to hook over the handle 42 on the can via its hook portion 43 and to contact the floor at its loop portion 44 thereby enabling the user to place his foot on the loop 44 to hold down the can against the pull on the door in cooking the device. It is only necessary to use the foot link 4| when the can II is empty, as after several bottles have been broken, the weight of broken glass in the bottom of the can is suflicient to hold the can in place against the lift placed on the door I6.

Of particular importance in this connection 15 the detent 45 in the cover it immediately in front of the door It which hooks below the reinforcing rim 46 on the can so that the cover is locked on the can against the pull of the door via the detent 45 and the rim 46.

In operation, the user places the cover 0 relative to the can I I so as to position the detent 35 below the can rim 46 above a handle 42 on the can I! and then drops the opposite side of the can cover It! down on top of the can thereby locking the can and the cover together and positioning the attaching means between the cover and the can above the holddown link 4| as hooked on the can handle 42. The operator then hooks the link 4| on the can handle 42, places his foot on the link loop 44, moves the door Hi from the position seen in Fig. 4 to the position shown in dotted lines of Fig. 3 whereupon the spring 32 causes the notch 33 in the lever 35 to engage the pin 23 on the wheel 25 locking the device against the tension of the spring 3|, and inserts a bottle H which lies across the arcuate feet i3 and I5; the user then moves the door from the position indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 3 through the position shown in solid lines of Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4, and, it is to be particularly noted, that the boss 38 does tically closed. The device is "shot" during the movement of the door from the position seen in Fig. 3 to the position seen in Fig. 4 as the boss 38 moves the upper part of the lever 35 in one direction causing the lower part of the lever 35 to move in the opposite direction to release the pin 29 to a notch 36 thereby permitting the wheel 25 to rotate under the tension of the spring 3| which initially kicks against the large portion 26 and then jerks against the small portion 21 on the wheel 25 to overcome inertia of the hammer 23 and to augment its momentum so that it swings sharply and forcefully against the bottle I! to break same into relatively very small pieces.

The general proportions and relationship of the firing wheel and segments thereon indicated in the drawing and described herein are desirable and preferable to the best functioning of the invention. Although the invention has been described as a bottle-breaker, obviously it may be used to break fruit and vegetable jars, jelly glasses, etc., including all domestic and industrial disposable glass containers.

Although but a single embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size, shape, detail, and arrangements of the elements of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bottle-breaker comprising a cover mountable on a conventional trash can, a detent on said cover lockable behind the lip of the can so as to render the cover unliftable relative to the can in the area of said detent, a hinged bottle receiving door in said cover adjacent said detent, paired legs depending from said cover so as to project within a can upon which said cover is disposed, paired feet extending from said legs so as to extend into the space below said door so as to be capable of supporting a bottle in spanning relationship to said feet below said door, an anvilstop disposed between said feet, an axle bearinged in and spanning said legs, a hammer keyed on said axle adapted to swing against said anvil and to break a bottle disposed between said feet, a wheel keyed on said axle, an attaching tab on the periphery of said wheel, a spring tensioned between said tab and the top 01' the device adapted to the wound on the periphery of said wheel and to unwind therefrom to rotate said axle via said Wheel to swing said hammer down on said anvil, a chain strung between said door and said tab attached to said door at a point spaced from its hinge adapted to rotate said axle when said door is opened via said wheel by unwinding on the periphery of said wheel to swing said hammer back to a cocked position and to wind said spring on said wheel, a, pin on said wheel adjacent the periphery of said wheel, a cocking lever fulcrummed on one said leg having a notch adapted to engage said pin to hold said wheel in the cooked position against the tension of said spring,

means urging .said pin and the notch of said lever into contact, and a boss on said door adapted to contact the unnotched end of said lever to move same to free said pin when the door is substantially closed from the notched end of said lever to allow said spring to swing said hammer down on said anvil to break a bottle positioned on said feet.

2, In a device as set forth in claim 1, a relatively smaller radial and circumferential segment on said wheel adapted to coact with said spring and a relatively larger radial and circumferential segment adapted to coact with said chain so that the chain has a, leverage advantage over said spring in rotating said wheel to render opening said door easier and to render hammer activation by said spring faster.

3. In a device as set forth in claim 2, said wheel having a break between said segments on the spring coacting side thereof so that said spring initially kicks off said larger segment and jumps onto said smaller segment with accumulated momentum.

4. In a bottle-breaker hammer activation mechanism, a hammer swingable from a cooked position to an impact position, an axle swingably supporting said hammer and secured thereto for movement therewith, a wheel keyed to said axle, a spring tensioned around the periphery of said wheel to move said hammer from a cooked position to the impact position, a door, a chain attached to said door at a point spaced from its hinge and attached to the periphery of said wheel to rotate said wheel to move said hammer via said axle from the impact position to the cooked position and to wind said spring when said door is opened, a relatively smaller radial and circumferential segment on said wheel coacting with said spring and a relatively larger radial and circumferential segment adapted to coact with said chain so that the chain has a leverage advantage over said spring in rotating said wheel to render opening said door easier and to render hammer activation by said spring faster when said door is closed.

5. In a device as set forth in claim 4, said wheel having a break between said segments on the spring coacting side thereof so that said spring initially kicks off said larger segment and jumps onto said smaller segment with accumulated momentum.

JOHN M. WESTRATE.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

